As a former cupcake princess and absolute foodie at heart, I was definitely excited to move to the South’s Tastiest Town.

Here are my current Durham cravings:

Lilly’s Pizza is my favorite pizza place so far.  Their traditional thick crust is sweet and chewy, reminiscent of the gourmet pizzas found in big cities.  The restaurant has an open kitchen in the middle of the establishment, where you can see all the pizzas being made and the stone oven.  They also feature the works of local artists around the restaurant, which changes every month.  I highly recommend the Sir Walter, a white pizza with a flavorful blend of roasted garlic, prosciutto, smoked gouda, and mushrooms.  The toppings are perfectly proportioned.  The Big Shindig is also a classic.  Besides pizza, they are also known for their calzones.

Foster’s Market is one of the sweetest food markets I have seen.  I love it there so much, I am actually doing a mentored study in entrepreneurship with Foster’s Market.  Rustic and artisan, they offer a bakery, café, deli, as well as a retail shop.  Foster’s Market is the ideal brunch spot, so be prepared for a brief wait.  The place also has the perfect set-up to catch up on some reading or homework over coffee.  My go-tos are anything with bacon jam, the English Muffin breakfast, Jammin’ Turkey sandwich, as well as the Peanut Butter Fudge Pie.

Sushi Love is the resident go-to sushi spot for students in Durham.  The place boasts a multitude of California style sushi rolls with daily half off and buy one get one free specials.  Close to campus and next to the Lofts and Trinity apartments, I always run into Fuquans whenever I stop by for a sushi fix.  I always get the perfectly spicy Sunrise Lava Roll and the sweeter Durham Cares roll. Decent sushi for a student budget, Sushi Love tends to be packed during peak meal times.